Means for handling core bars and cores



June 22 1926,

J. R. MCWANE MEANS FOR HANDLING CORE BARS AND comss Filed Dec. 12, 19243 Sheets-Sheet 1 NVENTOR' WITNESSES .fflwf BY ATTORNEY- J. R. M WANEMEANS FOR HANDLING CORE BARS AND CORES June 22 Filed Dec. 12, 1924 3Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTO ATTORNEY GEE-Ev all Jar/Z6312. .WOW

June 22 1926.

, J- R. M WANE MEANS FOR HANDLING CORE BARS AND CORES 5 Sheets-Sheet 5Filed Dec. 12, 1924 w l. M g

N INVENTOR,

may .JWo a720,

Patented June 22, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES R. McvvAnn, or BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.

MEANS FOR HANDLING CORE BARS AND CORES.

Application filed December 12, 1924:.

ing operation, subjecting the same to a washing or wetting treatment andcarrying a plurality of said bars to the core making machines, toexpedite the placement thereof, one at a time, in said machine, for thepurpose of forming the sand core thereon, said means also providing forthe transportation of the plurality of completed cores to one bayor-unit of the foundry plant or another, and safeguarding against damageor injury to the sand cores during such transit.

Another object is to provide means for the stated purpose which willalternately serve, two bays or units of the plant without pause or delayin the cycle of operations, the operations requiring the attention of aminimum number of operatives and, in addition, effecting great economyin space on the foundry floor.

A further object is to provide means for carrying the plurality of corebars or cores during the several steps necessary in the improved methodof handling the same, said means permitting of the ready placement ofthe bars or cores thereon without danger of injury, and of being pickedup bodily, with all the cores being held against dislodgment, andcarried from the core ma chine to the desired position and placedin theflasks on the casting floor of alternate bays or units of the foundry.

A final object is to provide manually oper ated means in connection withthe holding and carrying means for the bars and cores, whereby the bell.ends of the core bars,'in the case of cast iron pipe manufacture, maybe. counterbalanced during transit from the core machine to and alongthe said bays, it being understood that the elongated form of such corebars necessitates an elongated and easily tiltable carriage whensupported and carried by a single point suspending means, which isnecessary in the present arrangement, in order to enable the load to beturned about a vertical axis to guide and direct the same through themore or less restricted confines about the core machine, and to en ableturning at right angles to travel. down Serial No. 755,510.

one bay or another at either end of the machine, the said lifting andcarrying means being in the form of a mono-rail hoist capable of makingsuch turns.

A full and complete understanding of the invention may be obtained fromaconsideration o-f'the following detailed description, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of thisspecification, it being understood that while the drawings show apractical form of the invention, the latter is not to be confined tostrict conformity with the showing thereof, but may be changed ormodified, so long as such changes or modifications mark no materialdeparture from the salient features of the invention, as specificallypointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, in which similar reference characters designatecorresponding parts throughout the several figures Figure 1 is a sideelevation, partly in section, of a portion of a pipe foundry plant andshowing the improvements in operation in connection with a core makingmachine;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the Same;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the core bar and core supporting andtransporting means; 1

Figure 4 is an enlarged, longitudinal section through one end of thesupporting means;

Figure 5 is a transverse section of the same.

It has been found in practice that the individual handling and treatmentof the core bars entails-a great amount of labor and unnecessary expensein carrying the same from the shakeout'racks or runways where, the sandfrom previous castings is removed, and where any bent, warped orotherwise defective bars are detected and removed for straightening, tothe core making machine for applying the coating of sand to the bars,and then carrying the individual cores to the floor of the bay or unitof the foundry, to be placed in the flasks for pouring the metaltherein. By providing the improved means herein disclosed, a pluralityof core bars and cores may be handled at one time, and by locating thecore machine close to the said racks or runways, much time may be saved,thus increasing production and effecting economy in the cost thereof,the

said means consisting of improved cars or carriages capable of holdingthe desired number of core bars, and in the means or method of movingthe cars or carriages and shifting the same to provide for the severalsteps necessary in the complete operation, and finally in picking up theentire car together with its load of cores and carrying the same to thepouring position.

In the drawings, 1 indicates a core making machine, which may be o1 anydesired type capable of forming the proper core upon a permanent corebar the usual knife or blade 2 causing the same to assume the neoessaryshape while being rapidly revolved by any suitable means such as gearing3. No attempt has been made to show the core machine in detail, thoughthe same is provided with upstanding pedestals 3 having open seats 3 attheir upper ends for the end portions of the core bars, the bell ends ofwhich are engaged by the gearing in any desired manner to impart arotary motion to the bar.

The core machine is centrally located opposite the division between twobays or units of the pipe foundry, as indicated by the verticallydisposed pillar or post 4 (Fig. 2), which serves as a roof supportingmemher, and said machine further includes upright corner posts 5 in theterm of angle irons, suitably trussed and braced to support a sand bin 6for holding the core sand. The bin is provided with a down spout 7extending the full length of the core bar, and any suitable sandelevating means may be employed for supplying the bin with properlyprepared sand for the purpose, said sand falling upon the revolving barwhich has been wetted to cause the sand to adhere, the ever-increasingcoat thereon being shaped by the said knife or blade.

At a suitable distance above the ground or floor level, the uprightposts 5 support horizontal trac is 8, preferably in the form of I-beams,the free ends of which extend out in onedirection beyond the supportingstructure 5, as clearly shown in Figure 1. Each track 81 is providedwith an independent hand hoist, indicated at 9, and having the usualoperating chain 9 depending within reach of an operator standing on theground or door and capable of being run from one end of the track to theother.

Located upon the floor and in longitudinal aliuement with the saidtracks 8, are a pair of spaced rails 10 constituting a floor track suitably supported upon pillars ll embedded in. the ground. The rails 10 arerelatively short, being slightly greater than the width of three cars,as will be described, the ends remote from the core machine beinglocated over adrain pit 12, arranged transversely and provided with asuitable outlet.

A rack or runway 13 composed of spaced rails suitably supported abovethe floor by posts 14:, is located at the pit end of the floor tracks 10and in longitudinal aliuement with the same. The said rack or runway ispreferably inclined slightly toward the end adjacent to the pit, and isthere provided with a stop bar or cl at 15, which serves to check thedownwardly rolling core bars 16 coming from the shalre-out location,where the sand from previous casting is removed. At this point any barsfound to be defective are removed, and straightened out or otherwisetreated to make the same perfeet.

A car 17 is initially located over the pit in the position indicated atA and constituting the first position, said car, which will be laterdescribed in more detail, resting upon the floor tracks 10 and close tothe stop end 15 of the rack or runway 13 for the purpose of receivingthe empty core bars 16 thereon, the latter being arranged inlongitudinal alinement on the car and parallel to each other and to thecore bars upon the runway.

linen said car 17 is full of core bars, the latter are washed or wettedthrou hout their lengths by means of a suitable sprayer 18 havingcontrolling means and suspended by a flexible hose 19 connected to anoverhead source of supply 20-, such washing servinfi to remove allparticles ot' dried or burned sand from the bars, and also to facilitatethe application of new sand thereto by the core machine.

i hen the car 17 is filled with core bars, it is rolled along to theother end of: the tracks 10 to the second position, indicated at B, thesaid car being indicated at 21, where an. operative at each end oi thecar applies one of the hoisting means 9 lo the adjacent end oi the corebars 16, one at a time.v and places the same within the alert said seats0 in the c re machine {or formlhe core thereon. As each core 22 isfinished, the same is placed back on lhe 521. During this operation asecond c: r is brought by an overhead, traveling. monorail hoist o aposition between the first "ions rand l3, and it is cl-zs i in the thirdpos c which has been brought tfom one of the two baysb is then rolledalong l v the t1 lb; 10 to the hrst position A, ready to l'Ot'QlVQ loadof: empty core The first car which has now been lilled with finishedcores is rolled to the central position C by hand. and in a position tobe connected; to and litted by the said overh-ad hoist Q4, and iscarried along the single track or Ibeam 25 to the other buy or unit,where operatives place the cores in the molds along that floor. he hoist4: now picks up a third car from said bay,

which has been emptied, of its cores, and carries the same back toposition C, the second car having received its load of empty core barsand been moved to position B for the making of the cores. This cycle ofoperations continues without interruption until the two bays aresupplied with cores for all the flasks; and it will be seen that,

with the steps taken, the three cars serve to keep a constant supply on.hand, the travel of the hoist taking place while one car is being loadedwith empty core bars,and the latter being washed or wet-ted, while thesecond car is having the cores placed thereon, and while the third caris in the bay having the cores removed therefrom.

The track is in the form of a loop haw ing the transverse portion 26running across the center of the position C, and the two extendedlongitudinal branches 27 running down the centers of the two bays beingv served and are joined thereto by rounded corners to facilitate theturning of the hoist and the heading or guiding of the load into thebays.

Each car is equipped. on its ends with a pair of spaced, flanged wheels28 journalled on trunnions 29 suitably held to the -frame of the car andextended beyond the wheels, their ends being provided with annulargrooves 30 for the reception of the looped ends 31 of relatively shortflexible cables 32, which may thus be readily attached to the car forlifting the same. The upper ends of the cables are connected to hooks 33for engagement with eyes 34:, carried at each end of a spreader bar 35,of a length slightly longer than the car, as shown in Figure 3 of i thedrawings.

The spreader bar is in turn suspended by a cable 36, having its endattached thereto adjacent to each end of the bar, and provided at thecenter with an eye tor connection to a hook 37, the shank of whichextends upwardly through a frame 38, and provided with a nut and washerhaving an interposed spring 39 for cushioning the weight of the load toprevent arring or dis .lodgment of the sand cores on the bars while intransit, or while being hoisted or lowered. The frame 33 is provided.with a book ll) at the top for connection with a sheave 4l, hav ing ailifting cable 4-2 running to the aforesaid hoisting mechanism 21-, sothat it will be seen that the entire car and load of cores is suspendedfrom a single, centralpoint while in transit, and may be easily turnedby hand about a central, vertical axis to head or guide the car aroundthe turns of the supporting track, in the more or less confined spaceadjacent to the core machine, and direct the same down the bay to beeasily turned again to arrange the load of cores transversely thereoffor placement in the "flask sections, which are also disposedtransversely upon the floor ready for the core.

reception of the ends of the core bars.

The cars which are of elongated. oblong form are provided at each endwith upstanding pillow blocks d3, preferably formed of suitable wood,and provided with a plurality of notches la, preferably V-shaped, forthe The blocks 43 are mounted on end timbers il-5 of the open frame carstructure, the longitudinal sills 41 6 of the same being substantiallythe same length as the core bars 16, and held together by intermediatecross timbers 47, the angles of the various members being reinforced byangle plates 48 to give the required strength for supporting a load ofcores.

In placing the bars 16 and the cores upon the cars, the bell ends 16thereof are all placed at one end, and since the bell ends are enlarged,they are necessarily heavier and would cause the car, while insuspension, to tilt to that end, by reason of the single point ofsupport at 37, and provision has been made for'overcoming suchdisadvantage in the following manner.

Each longitudinal sill or timber 46 is provided with a track 4-9extending from one end thereof to a point adjacent to the center of thecar, where the track ends in an abutment 50. Mounted to roll on saidtracks is a cast iron weight or carriagebl, preferably having a narrow,connecting body portion and enlarged ends provided at their outercorners with upstanding ears 52, between which are journalled flangedwheels or rollers 53, which are adapted to roll along said tracks 49,the steps 50 and the aforesaid bloeks 43 serving to prevent the weightfrom rolling off the tracks. The weight 51 is located below the centersof the journals of the wheels or rollers 53, so as to retain the weightupon the tracks in the event of rocking motion of the ear in transit.The bell ends of the cores are all placed at the end of the car oppositeto the tracks 49, and the weight is manually shifted to a position wherethe bell ends are balanced and. the car may be carried in a horizontalposition. The said weight is carried in the center of the car when thelatter is being transported empty From the foregoing it will be seenthat a simple means and method of handling core bars and cores at thecore machine has been provided, whereby the same may go through thevarious steps necessary without loss of time, and with the aid of feweroperatives to prepare the bars, adjust the same in position forreceiving the cores, and then transporting the same.

hat is claimed is 1.. In means for handling core bars and cores to andfrom a core making machine, a runway elevated above the floor andtermihating in spaced. relation to the core ma chine and in front of thesame, tioor tracks between the runway and core machine and capable ofholding three core cars, a core ear normally located on the floor tracksadjacent to the runway to receive the core bars therefrom, means forWetting the bars on said car, ting means to lift the core bars one at atime from a filled car to place said bars in the core machine and thenremove the cores therefrom back to said car, and overhead means forpicking up an entire car loaded With finished cores, after the same hasbeen moved to a central position on the floor racks a d co yeying; theloaded car to the flasks. V

In means for placing; core bars in a core machine and then placing thecores in the molds, relatively short, spaced floor traclzs adjacent tothe core machine, and in fr "-it of the same, an inclined elevatedrunway terminating at the other end of the floor tracks and ad pted tosupply the core liars, a lirstcar mounted on the floor tracks to receivethe bars from he runway, means for netting the core cars a second carlocated at the opposite end of the floor tracks and having Wetted barsthereon, lid :1. means mounted t the core machine and adapted to placethe bars, one at a time, from the second car on the core 1 chine forhavin' the core formed thereon and then returnii the core bar with thcore back onto 1 second car, and an overhead hoisting means adapted topick up the car and convey the same second and loaded to the flasks.

3. The combination with a sand core re in r machine, of spaced floortracks arranged longitudinally in front of said machine, pliirality ofcore ca 5 nounted to roll on said. tracks, elevated trac {S inounted onthe core maciiine and Qfii'OlliillllfI over each end of the adjacentcore car, hoists mounted on he clove "d tracks and adapted to en, ;a;:che opposite ends of one of the core bars on aid car and place the sameon the core machine, elevated track. terminating at the opposite ends ofth floor traclis to constitute a runway and carry hare core bars to rnadjacent core car, overhead 7 ti means located above the said car, a i ri pit provided below the same, an ownhL ,d mono-rail having; loop.located transy above the tracks :1 l hoist mounted thereon it; up a curleaded the: same to the M ans for handling core bars and cores to andfrom a core making machine, com-- prising iloor traclts arraneedadjacent to said machine, an elevated, inclined runway hme' udinallydisposed at the other end of ioor tracks, the latter having room for aplurality of core cars, a core car initially located in the firstposition adjacent to the runway to receive empty core bars therefrom,means for Wetting the bars, said car, when tilled, being adapted to hemoved to the second position at the opposite end of the floor tracks andadjacent to the core machine, means mounted for lifting the core barsfrom the car and carrying the same to the core machine and thenreplacing them again on said car, and overhead hoisting Jeans adapted topick up the car with its lead of cores, after the same has been moved tothe third or central position, and conveyinr' the same to the flasks.

o. A means of handlingcore bars and cores to and from a core makingmachine, comprising means for placin an empty core car in first positionnext to a supply of crop y bars for the reception of a plurality of idcore bars on car, means for Wetting; the core liars and moving the fullto a second position adjacent to the core 5 making machine, means forbring an empty car from a unit of the foundry and placing same in athird position, between the first and second positions, and rolling thesame to the position, means for lifting the core bars from the full car,one at a time, and placing them individually in the core machine andthen transferring the finished cores to the same car, and rolling: i118loaded car to the third position, and means for piclii up the loaded carand carrying to the flasks.

6. In means for handling core bars and cores to and from a core makingmachine, comprising means for receiving and delivering a plurality ofbare core bars, means for assembling a plurality of said core bars overa pit and for Wetting the same, means for shifting a plurality of thewetted core bars to a position adjacent to a core making machine, meansfor individually handling each of the Wetted core bars and deliveringthe same to the core making machine for the purpose of forming the corethereon, and then for transferring the completed core bars to a. car,and means for elevating: the car with the completed cores thereon andconveying; the same to the flasks.

7. A means for handling bars or members ehicl'i have one end heavierthan the other, comprising a Wheeled frame, upstandinfjr members to enfthe core bars or cores at their ends to prevent dislodgment, and amovable Weigl'it mounted on the frame and adapted to cminterbalance theheavier hell ends of the core bars or cores, when the frame issuspended.

8. A means for handlinga plurality of core bars or cores in themanufacture of cast iron pipe, comprising; a substantially rectangularframe, spaced Wheels mounted at each end of the frame, upstanding racksmounted at each end of the frame and provided With a series of alinedseats for the ends of. the core bars, longitudinal tracks ll l mountedon the frame, a Weight, Wheels mounted in the eight and adapted to rollon said tracks to permit said Weight to be shifted to counterbalance thebell ends of the core bars.

9. A means for handling a plurality of elongated bars or members havingone end heavier than the other, comprising a frame, means carried by theframe for holding the bars in place, pairs of Wheels mounted at the endsof the frame and adapted to roll on a track, longitudinal tracks mountedon the frame and extending for a portion of its length, and a Weightadapted to be manually adjusted longitudinally of the frame tocounterbalance the heavier ends of the bar, said Weight having Wheels toroll on said tracks.

10. A means for handling a plurality of elongated core bars forcasting-pipe or the like, comprising an elongated frame provided with apair of Wheels at each end to engage a floor track, the trunnions of theWheels being extended and provided with annular grooves, a one pointlifting and suspending means, a spreader bar connected to the same,flexible strands connected to the I ends of the spreader bar and havingterminal loops for engagement With the grooves of the trunnions forlifting the car.

11. A means for handling a plurality of elongated core bars for castingpipe or the like, comprising an elongated frame provided with ,a pair ofwheels at each end to engage a floor track, the trunnions of the Wheelsbeing extended and provided With means for engagement With a singlepoint lifting and suspending means for carrying the car and the corebars, racks mounted on the car for receiving the bars, opposite tracksmounted on the'longitudinal members of the frame and extending from oneend thereof to near the center of the same, said core bars being placedin the racks With their heavier or bell ends opposite to the saidtracks, and a Weight having opposite pairs of Wheels to roll on thetracks and adapted to be'manually shifted to balance said heavy ends,said weight being arranged below the journals of its supporting Wheelsto maintain the same on the said tracks.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixedmy signature.

JAMES R. MoWANE.

